VINTAGE SAMPLE OF NORTH SEA OIL - the remains of marine organisms

VINTAGE SAMPLE OF GENUINE NORTH SEA OIL (1976)

A sample of North Sea crude oil encased in a clear acrylic block and provided with a descriptive label.

A glass ampoule containing a sample of North Sea oil encased in a clear acrylic block.  It is a second hand, very collectable item and comes with a descriptive label describing the geological background to North Sea oil production. It is in good condition with only slight scratches to the base and to one side which are barely noticeable.

In its natural state crude oil is a yellow to dark brown liquid consisting of various organic compounds.  It was formed millions of years ago by the decay of large quantities of marine organisms such as algae in sedimentary rocks which were then subjected to heat and pressure.

Most of the oil beneath the floor of the North Sea is trapped in reservoir rocks consisting mostly of sandstones dating from the Jurassic and Palaeocene periods. The source rocks where the oil originally formed are the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation.